The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-12-10
THE GREAT DAY
N BANKEn HARrER's TRIAL.
Tho Prisoner IL Placed Upon tho Witness
stand and Puts all tho Dinmo on Wi.
shire-Ho saya Ho was Deceived
BY tho very Wicked Broker.

CINCINNATI, Dec. 0.-This proved to
DO tho great day In tho trial OF Z. L,
Harper. s,.,sg
Until after court opened 1t was not
known whether Harper himself would
become q witness or not. It has been
said that his counsel protested against his
appearance on the witness stand and that
he as firmly insisted that his intarcs.s
demanded that he should tell his own
story.
At 1905 the crowd was 80 great that m
order was isauedrto admit no moro, not
even attorneys, unless seats should be
vacated. Still the corridors filed and the
poor bslliT at the door was worried be.
yond measursby appeals to be lot into the
cruah.- Ths parllea appeared promptly,
and the impressive opsning Of court dur
Ing which evsry one stood until tho clos
ing words, "God save the United Stetcs
and these honorable courts," wero DO.
livered, left a hush upon tho animated
scene: Harper appeared pale and anx-
ioua, hls wlfo weary, and her aister, Miss
Matthews, wore a face bearing traces OF
recent distreBs. =
At twelve minutes after ten the question
was solved by Mr. Blackburn calling Mr..
Harper to the witness stand. Before he
took tho oath, Judge jackson asked: "Dld
sHu stand d5s9lus's s'9l to b' placed on the wltness
"ies, Sir" was the reply.
The oath was then administered, and in
answer to question: by Mr.. Blackburn the
witness said he now resided In the county
Jail, and told Of his previous business ca
reer ending with the Fidelity National
Bank, which he said he organized out Of
the Fidelity Sale Deposit and Trust Com.
psny. Witness amiled when asked il he
knew J. W. Wiltshire, and went on 10 de-
tall Wilshire's connection with the Fidelity
National Bank. Ho said in Ssptsmber,
1855, he WAS induced by Wiltshire to mako
bin loan Of SIS 1000. Wiltshire at that
time wac a debtor to the bank to the
amount Of 500, 900, and he represented to
Harper that II this loan wac not made tho
bank would suffer. Ho accommodated
him upon taking an agreement to transfer
certain real estate, aud also 100 shares OF
the Fidelity National Bank OF par, then
worth l60. ALI went well until In Octo.
ber, when witness returned from little
dinner party, composed Of Wiltshire and
some ofiicera OF the bank, and fonnd that
during hia absence Wiltshire, Eckers &
Co.'s check Tor $4,000 On the First Ma.
tional Bank had baen returned not good,
That check Wiltshire said he was unable
to make good, and We were compelled to
carry it. = .
Another day when witness was out
Wiltshire, Eckert & Co. got HOPKINS to
wire $4,000 credit to Chicago, upon Ger.
titled checks. At the close Of business
hours that day he found Wiltshire, Eckert
& Co.'S account overdrswn 100000. With
the former $40. 900, their debt TO the bank
OF $4,000 and their deb. to him of s55,-
OOO. he felt that they wero in dangerous
position. Wiltshire transferred to him the
real estate and tho stock which ha turned
over to the bark. He 5tormcd ct Wiltshire,
but could get nothing ou. OF him, Hs
then suggested to the cRehier to take a
call loan from Wiltshire, Eckert < Go, TO
square their account and to rrys tho cash-
ier. d. rs-,, ,,.s-.-' 'I.7 - - :" - o'-'
In answer to direct questions from Mr..
Blackburn, Mr. Harper stated unreoe-v-
eddy that ho never gave m order OF any
kind to Mr.. Eckert to buy grain for him
in Chicago, and he was equally eweeDIpr
and explicit in saying that he never mn.
thorlzsd Mr.. Wiltshire to buy grain io1
MIN IN Chicago or eleowhers. This ia the
point OF the whole caso and ia in direct
Gonh!ct With the testimony Of both hIr.
Wllehire and Mr. Eckert. 49,. -,
Harpcs's manner on ths stand showed
what difficult man he has besn for his
attorneys to manage. He took the iurv
into his conf 6dencs and talked to them
WITH the purpose OF convincing them. He
taetlhed dozen times to occurrences
which he did not witness but Of which
somebody had told him. Harper vent on
TO Bay that when Wiltshire in March ss;l!
owed the bank aud him large gume, ho
ineisted on his selling out his wheat deal.
go "a to psy his debts. Wiltshire said to
do 80 safely he should buy some tha. day
10 keep up the market, and then he
could sell out to advantage tho next
day. "He anked my advice" said Mr..
Harper, sand ! gave it.. l said to him,
MAZE out your order 10 buy June wheat
and II it's all right I'll 0 Kit Mr.. viii
ahipo sent to the bank this note that hs
was going to buy 10000 bushels Of wheat
and ! 0 kd It. 1t was no act or accouut
OF mine in any shape OF form. The books
Of the bank will chow, think, that he
paid the bank q considerable amount OF
money the no1t dsy. l had no pu.poae
whatever in this transaction, excspt to
get the money for the bank that was ow-
Ing 10 it by Wiltshire III